Red-Eyed Protection
by montez
Summary: Please see note at beginning of story, nothing bad though just a clearer explanation. Bucky wasn't the only person Steve lost that day on the train and he wasn't the only one who returned. OC


Red-Eye Protector

Disclaimer: General disclaimer, don't own any of the recognized characters just borrowing them. Only claim OC in this story.

_Posters Note: Hi Guys, I'm sorta back, been a while. By meaning sorta back this story isn't entirely mine. My Daughter is trying her hand at fanfiction and this is her first story ever-so I told her I would post this one under my name so she can see what kind of response she gets before we decide to set her up an author page of her own. She is a beginner and is very new to writing but totally loves Captain America-The Winter Soldier (Bucky is her favorite) and she created an original character to play among our super soldiers, I helped her along with 'embellishments' to give her story a little more depth but the basic elements of the story are entirely hers. She has been reading Fanfiction for a while so if anyone recognizes something it is entirely by accident, I reminded her that her story needed to be original and as far as I know it is. We welcome any and all constructive criticism, but again please remember she is a beginner. Thanks in advance for your support-Montez _

Chapter 1 Unexpected Guest

Two months after the incident in D.C. Bucky and his friend, an old WWII partner, showed up at Steve's door step. Bucky knocked, when Steve opened the door his jaw dropped, "I've been looking for you everywhere, where the hell have you been?"

Wordlessly Bucky stepped aside revealing a young woman standing behind him. She had sandy-brown hair pulled back in a wavy ponytail; she was wearing a blue, short-sleeve shirt, blue jean shorts and black Converse tennis shoes. A surprised look appeared on Steve's face, "Sahara?…I…I haven't seen you since…" His voice dropped as that day over seventy-years ago played through his head, pain and guilt flashing across his face as he looked up at the man who had been and would always be his best friend, "Since Bucky fell and you went after him."

Sahara raised her head, revealing her deep-red eyes and a scar over her left eye, she gave him that smirk that he clearly remembered, "Yea, it was one hell of a fall, but we're both still alive." The scar triggered a memory in Steve from the initial fight with the Winter Soldier, he remembered a large wolf cornering Natasha and Sam having taken a shot at it, that shot had left a glancing blow across the animals face, but had succeed in making it back-off the female assassin. It had disappeared at the same time the Winter Soldier did, just as Steve had realized his adversary was actually his old friend.

"You were there…on the street that day" Steve commented, as that day replayed in his mind.

"They found me, when they found Bucky…Everything they did to him, they tried with me…my abilities seemed to really intrigue them, they wanted to see if they could do to me what they had done to him." Sahara commented, glancing at her quiet partner.

Steve saw the setting sun reflect off a sliver of metal on her arm as she spoke. She noticed Steve looking at her right arm, "I lost my right arm…" she raised it, flexing it, "like Bucky lost his left."

Clearly becoming uncomfortable with what was being discussed, still trying to come to terms with what he had been made to do over the last seventy years, Bucky spoke quietly for the first time, "We were hoping for a place to stay."

Steve looked at his best friend, finally hearing a hint of the old Bucky in those few words, though they lacked the confidence he remembered. Stepping back he motioned for both of his 'old' friends to come in, "And you have a place for as long as you need."

Chapter 2 The Nightmare

That night Steve was asleep in his room, Bucky and Sahara were in the spare room, Bucky on the bed, Sahara curled in a pile of pillows and blankets on the floor, her abilities making these sleeping arrangement more practical. As the night wore on the nightmares that plagued the young woman again made an appearance, she could never fully remember them, but they triggered the same reaction. This dream came about as her mind replayed Steve's comments about realizing he had seen her in the D.C. battle and her bodies natural reactions to such threats began to happen.

Slowly, silently Sahara made her way through the apartment, toward Steve's bedroom. Pushing to door open, she approached the sleeping man, starting him awake as her powerful jaws clamped on his forearm, dragging him violently from the bed. When Steve could finally make sense of the situation through the pain in his arm he came face to face with a very large wolf with fiery red eyes and a scar above the left eye, misty, hot-breath blew in his face…"Damn…B…BUCKY!" Steve managed to get out as the wolf gave another violent shake, its teeth scrapping bone.

Steve's pained yell had Bucky up and running down the hall before he realized he had left the bed. Crossing the threshold into the room Bucky came upon the scene of Sahara having Steve pinned to the floor, jaws clamped firmly on the super soldier's arm, as he struggled with his other arm to dislodge the large animal.

"Остановить нападения " Bucky yelled.

The wolf released Steve and looked toward Bucky, the large animal began to back away, its head down, it's tail between its legs. Once it reached the farthest corner from Steve it curled up and began to change shape, changing back into the petite young woman from before. Bucky grabbed the comforter from Steve's bed, slowly making his way toward the sobbing woman, "Вы являются Хорошее" he repeated softly as he covered the cowering figure.

"Нет,Нет,Нет" Sahara kept repeating as she curled into Bucky's arms.

Steve had gotten up from the floor as Bucky had approached Sahara, stepping into the bathroom, grabbing a towel to wrap around his injured arm. Upon reentering the room he could hear his friend continuously mumbling something in Russian and the young woman began to calm in his arms. A tear-streaked face looked up at him, "I…I am so…so sorry" her breath hitching as she spoke.

Bucky looked at Steve as the blond knelt next to them, "This usually doesn't happen unless something bad is coming." At Steve's questioning look Bucky replied, "I'll explain later." before scooping up the younger woman and carrying her back to their room.

Several minutes passed before Bucky emerged into the dimly-lit kitchen, Steve fixing them both some coffee, "Is she okay?" he asked as he placed the cup in front of his dark-haired friend.

"Yeah, I guess…I…" Bucky ran his flesh hand through his longer hair, "I don't know, I'm not okay…so I don't know if…" His voice trailed as he placed his head in his hands. A moment passed before Bucky looked up, "How's your arm?"

"It's starting to heal, should be fine in a couple days." Steve squeezed his friends shoulder before sitting, "What did you mean about 'this doesn't happen unless something bad is coming'?"

Blowing out a deep breath, Bucky took a drink of the coffee and looked at Steve, "I still have memories of past missions…not clear, more like a dream…like a nightmare…" Pausing the former soldier leaned back, his metal hand flexing, "When they would…let us out, there was always a couple days debriefing and planning," releasing a deep sigh, Bucky continued, "If the threat or risk was especially high, Sahara would have a nightmare the night before…Hydra lost several scientist over the years because her instinct would take over, even when they thought they had prepared for it, the would underestimate her strength."

"Why did she attack me? There's no threat, no mission." Steve leaned forward.

"I don't know, maybe she saw you as threat or sensed something…Hydra's not completely gone so there is always a threat." Bucky's voice nearly growled out the last part, they would have to eventually start tracking the rest of Hydra down or none of them would ever be safe.

Silence settled between the two friends, Bucky's last statement hanging between them, yes Hydra was still out there and now the Bucky was with Steve his focus could shift from worrying and searching for his best friend, to finding the men responsible for attempting to completely stripe the humanity for said friend. Steve rose, placing his cup in the sink, "Try to get some sleep and if a threat arises, we'll face it like we always did, together." The super soldier patted his friends shoulder before making his way back to bed.

Chapter 3 Taking a Hike

The next morning dawned with Sahara almost afraid to be in the same room with Steve and with Bucky's ingrained response to protect his partner's he would unconsciously place himself between his two friends. By mid-morning tension was starting to run a bit high, "Okay, we need to work on this or it's going to be like walking on eggshells around here." Steve said as he walked into his small living room, Sahara attempting to make herself disappear into the couch cushions.

"I'm sorry", the young woman whispered for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Sahara," Steve took a seat next to her, Bucky stiffening in his chair across the room, "I told you, you have nothing to be sorry for, you couldn't help what happened, we'll figure something out so it doesn't happen again or if it does we can set up some type of a warning system, I can talk to Stark about that, he likes gadgets and a challenge." Steve reached over to take the young woman's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Glancing at Bucky, Steve received a silent nod before the blond stood clasping his hands together, "How about we go for a hike? I know a place a few miles from here, it will give us all a chance to get some air and come up with a game plan on what we need to do next."

Sahara seemed to light up at the suggestion, looking over at Bucky, who seemed to have a perpetual scowl, "I'd like that" She knew this might give her a chance to change and release the pent-up energy she was feeling.

Upon reaching the woods Sahara looked at the guys then took off running, in response to Steve's concerned look Bucky commented, "She'll be okay, she has to 'let herself go' to regain her balance after a nightmare episode." nodding his head in understanding Steve and Bucky started down the trail, the sun filtering along their path.

Sahara's enhanced abilities allowed her to know exactly where Steve and Bucky were, even as she was a good distance from them, but she felt the hairs on her back stand as another presence was sensed in the woods, a hint of a memory had her baring her teeth, a low growl escaping as she swiftly made her way back toward her friends.

Upon coming to a small clearing she could see Steve and Bucky standing back to back, two large wolves circling them, teeth bared, lunging periodically toward the two men, Bucky had a knife in each hand, Steve holding his shield in front of him. One of the wolves lunged toward Rogers, it's impact on the shield sending it back several feet, the other wolf yelped as Bucky took a swing at it.

Sahara let out a loud growl and charged into the clearing, leaping she landed, on all fours, protectively in front of Bucky, kicking dirt and sticks into the air. Upon see the larger brown wolf the other two snapped at her, then slowly backed away, as they turned to run away a warning was heard "I will find you". Sahara growled loudly again as if accepting the challenge, but their adversaries had disappeared into the woods.

"We need to go…now!" Bucky said as he came to stand next to Sahara who was still scanning the tree-line.

"Who were they?" Steve asked as the group quickly made their way back to the car.

"Hydra agents." Sahara said as she leaned against the car, having beat them back and changed back into human form, "And we need to take their warning serious and prepare." She added as they got into the car and headed back to the city, not seeing the two sets of eyes watching their departure.

Chapter 4 Visitors in the Night

Sahara explained to Steve the fact she was not the only shape-shifter Hydra'd had at their disposal over the years, but she was the first and only one who had not willing joined the nefarious group, they had played on her loyalty to Bucky and thus kept her under control with threats to him. That night found an uneasy silence filling the house, the echo of the threat and with Sahara's explanation Steve was more than a little on edge and he could see and hear the tension that radiated off of Bucky as the man kept flexing his metal hand, his knives strapped to his back and a gun on his leg. This side of his best friend was still something Steve was getting use to, it reminding him too much of the masked adversary he had faced all those months ago. During the war Bucky had developed intensity, but this was different, it was scary.

It was after midnight, Sahara had just entered the kitchen to get something to drink, the two super soldiers were in the front room, discussing whether it would be a good idea to stay in the open or go underground for a while. Sam had called earlier in the day, Steve filling him in on what had happened over the last few days, the Army man had offered his help and his grandfather's cabin in West Virginia if the group needed a place to lay low for a while.

Once putting the glass in the sink Sahara got the same feeling she'd gotten in the woods that day, she slowly made her way toward the back door, stepping onto the darkened porch, without warning she was knocked across the yard into the trash bins. "That was a grave mistake" Sahara growled as she turned to face her attacker.

The loud noise had Bucky and Steve on their feet and out the backdoor instantly only to be confronted by one of the large wolves from the woods, this one had glowing orange eyes as it prowled around them. "We said we'd find you" a menacing voice called out just as a shot was fired at them; Steve brought his shield up just in time to stop the bullet. In the next instant the blond man threw his shield and Bucky let loose one of his knives, the shield knocked the weapon from Hydra agents hand while Bucky's deadly projectile embedded in the man's chest.

A loud commotion came from the back of the yard as two large wolves came tumbling out of the darkness; Sahara was in a savage battle with the same animal that had seemed to have shrunk from her in the woods that morning. Steve stepped forward, wanting to help his friend, but Bucky held him back, he had seen Sahara in action in this form, Steve was more likely to get hurt than help. The gnashing of teeth, the bites, the swipes of deadly claws seemed to go on forever, however in an instant an agonizing howl erupted as the orange-eyed wolf got a hold of Sahara's flesh limb and bite down, jerking it's head as it did, shattering the bones in her arm. Her metal paw came up on instinct, catching her adversary against the head, caving in the side as it when flying lifeless across the yard.

Bucky ran across the yard to Sahara who had changed back and was curled in on herself, her damaged arm cradled close. Steve had checked on the dead creature, then made his way to his friends. Bucky was cradling Sahara, "She needs a hospital…" He called out, just as the younger woman lost consciousness. Steve caught a glance of bone sticking out of torn flesh before rushing inside to call for help.

The muffled noises and sterile smell greeted the brown-haired woman as consciousness slowly returned, her body pulsing with a dull ache, her arm felling unusually heavy. Opening her eyes Sahara noted the darkened room, the moonlight coming in the window told her it was still dark, whether it was the same night or not, she didn't know, her mind foggy from unconsciousness and pain-killers. Turning her head to the left she could just make out the silhouette of Steve in a chair near the door, his shield in his lap, his head tilted back, eye's closed. She had been glad when she had finally convinced Bucky to go to Steve, her memories coming back faster than the dark-haired man's had and she knew if they wanted a real chanced of taking down the rest of Hydra that going to Steve would be a good start.

Closing her eye's and taking a deep-breath, she then turned her head to the right and found two dark, intense, worried eye's looking at her, "How do you feel?" Bucky's quiet voice asked, his eye's studying her.

"Achey…What happened? Are you both okay?" Sahara asked as she tried to shift, a muffled whimper escaping.

Bucky moved forward, placing his hand gently on her shoulder, just above her metal limb. "Easy…you had surgery to reset the bones before they started healing and you are covered with cuts and bruises."

It took a minute and several deep-breaths before Sahara could form a clear thought, looking into her partner's face, her pain-filled eye's meeting his rare soft expression. "You didn't answer…are you guys okay?"

"We're fine…worried; it's been a long time since you have been this hurt." Bucky glanced across the room as Steve stood, making his way to Sahara's bedside.

"Next time don't go out on your own, okay." Steve's worried look almost made her feel guilty and he sometimes needed to be reminded that she had nearly all the same training Bucky'd had as the Winter Soldier and was more than capable of handling herself, despite the injuries this time.

"I know how to take care of myself" She said defensively.

"I have no doubt you do, but we are a team again and a team can only protect its members if everyone knows what the others are doing…I just…" Steve let out a sigh, he hadn't wanted to sound like a jerk, but even all those years ago in the war it had been hard to not want to protect Sahara just a little more than a 'normal' soldier. "You know I always worried more about you, then losing you two and now finally getting you back…I just don't want to lose you both again…okay?"

An uncharacteristic chuckle escaped Bucky as a memory flashed in his mind of a past conversation between his two friends that had played out in a similar fashion. Both of his friends looked at him in surprise, "I remember this…" Bucky waved his hand between them, "and I remember her having you pinned to a wall last time."

Sahara smiled at Steve's stunned look, he too was clearly remembering that incident in England over seventy years ago. A few minutes of silence settled over the room, before Sahara looked at the two men, "So when can I get out of here?"

"We informed them of your accelerated healing, but they still wanted you to stay another day or so, so they can make sure the bones start to heal correctly." Steve replied as Bucky silently crossed the room, looking out the window.

"We need to leave here…" His voice sounding low, almost defeated. "They know where we are now, they will keep coming…I know I would have…" He whispered.

"And we can use that against them." Sahara said, "We can use everything they ever did to us, all the training, we can start using it against them."

Steve walked up next to his best friend, placing his hand on Bucky's shoulder, "We'll call Sam and I'll contact Natasha to let her know where we are going."

Bucky stiffened, "Are you sure she can be trusted? We did attacker her too."

"I trust her with my life and she is a resource we could need…she's still in touch with Hill and Fury, they can help us determine who is safe and who isn't." Steve watched his friend nod slowly before he turned back toward Sahara, who had been watching the two men. She too nodded in agreement, "Okay…Until Sahara is released one of us will be here at all times, only recognized personal are allowed in here, which ever one of us is out at the time will start gathering supplies and have things ready to head to West Virginia when you're released." He looked at the young woman again.

"Sounds like a plan." Sahara said, leaning back into her pillow, her tired, sore body yearning for sleep.

"Sounds like the beginning of the end for Hydra." Bucky added, retaking his seat next to Sahara's bed as the young woman fell asleep. Steve quietly made his way to the door, he had a few calls to make and plans to organize, but glancing on last time at his two friends he knew they could do this because like with so many years ago, they were finally a team again and this time nothing would stop them.

_A/N: I hope all translations are accurate, I posted the website used for our translations. No disrespect is meant if any translation is wrong and please let us know if it is-Thanks, Montez_

_Word meaning:_

_Остановить нападения means 'to stop attacks or stop attack' _

_Вы являются Хорошее means 'you are good'_

_Нет means 'No or There is no'_

_as found at en/translate-english-russian_


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